As an avid reader, I have long been mentored by a wide variety of texts. Despite the hardships I faced as a child, after leaving the cult I pressed onward toward growth, pursued healing, and persevered through the effects of the past in order to become the person I am today. A list of the books that were a huge catalyst for that growth is coming soon!
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Love this baby girl. đź’ž
River keeps me smiling and feeling real joy in all the craziness.
Let’s see how you are spending this long
4th of July weekend... 📸🎇
I came to Houston to mourn the passing of my friend’s mother.
On my way out of town I stopped at the cemetery where both my father and brother are buried.
My father’s headstone reads “BELOVED FATHER” and I have the same visceral reaction to those words. “Beloved by who?” is what crosses my mind. He did nothing but cause harm to his children.
If you’ve read the last chapter of my book you know that my high school friend, Alex, is buried here as well. This is where Alex’s mom, Estella, made such an impact on my life when we came here all those years ago.
Then, in 2017, Alex’s father, Alexander Campbell, passed away, and he was buried here as well. We lovingly called him Mr. C. He treated me like his daughter and my life was blessed because of him.
Two earthly fathers. Two sons.
One father devastated the lives of his children.
One father sacrificed his life and blessed his children.
It was a few words spoken by Mr. C in his exuberant, Jamaican accent that were the catalyst to my discovery of how to experience and receive the love of my Heavenly Father, which changed everything.
Estella got the final word in my first book as I wrestled with my buried emotions about my earthly father.
In that same way, Mr. C will be given the last word in my second book. (At least that is how the first, very rough, draft is currently being written.)
One beloved daughter. One Beloved Father.
I am His and He is mine. Forever. ♥️
I have been silent before for the wrong reasons.
If I am silent now it’s for better reasons.
Because I am listening to people of color.
Because I am reading books written by people of color.
Because I am learning from people of color.
I am only beginning to see the world from a different perspective.
The perspective of people of color.
Once my eyes were opened —and I looked— I saw things I cannot unsee.
Poet Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
I will do better.
I hope my white friends who don’t understand this will use this time — and the days to come —
to listen more,
to learn more,
to see differently,
to know better, and then
to do better.
I started with this book:
A Language of Healing for a Polarized Nation: Creating safe environments for conversations about race, politics, sexuality, and religion
This book is currently $4.16 on Amazon.
The Kindle edition is $3.95.
Let me know if you decide to buy it and read it.
Feel free to post links to other resources that have helped you see differently and do better.
The members of Jen Hatmaker's launch team pass along the book to one another for fun!
I’m on page 154 of The Book Thief as part of the Jen Hatmaker Book Club.
I have to stop reading every few chapters and bring my mind back to the present.
Not just from getting sucked into this story so thoroughly, but from my own childhood as well, where my mind keeps wandering. đź’”
So much of it resonates deeply with my family of origin experiences.
Have you read this book? (Please no spoilers!)
***UPDATE:
It took me about 24 hours to read the book start to finish. This was a harrowing experience for me.
It was so, so spellbinding. I couldn’t stop reading!
I have lots of feelings and words, but I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet.